West Bengal unveils performance linked industrial policy

The West Bengal government today unveiled an industrial policy that rewards productivity. The state has been divided into four zones where sops will be offered to industrialists based on their performance and ability to generate employment.

Among the four zones created —A, B , C, D—the first zone will have no incentive for setting up industry. An anchor unit subsidy of Rs. 1 crore shall be offered for the first two manufacturing enterprises with minimum employment of 100 members and minimum investment of Rs 50 Crore in each of the Sub-Divisions coming in groups- B, C & D will be offered, the policy said. One of the primary missions of the new policy would be to generate employment of 13.14 lakhs in 2013-14 and sustain this momentum.

Group A is spread across Kolkata Muncipal Corporation, and some parts of 24 parganas North & south. Group B consists of Howrah, Slected parts of north 24 parganas , Durgapur, Asansol, Haldia while Group C has Murshidabad, Birbhum, Nadia, Hooghly districts, and remote parts of north 7 south 24. parganas. At the end group D has Malda, Coochbehar, Uttar Dinajpur, DakshinDinajpur, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Purulia, Bankura and PaschimMidnapur Districts and area under Sundarban Development Board.

The new incentives will include tax holiday on VAT returns, stamp duty exemption on property dealing and waiver of land conversion fee, the policy said.

In a surprise move, Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has also welcomed foreign direct investment in the state across various sectors. However, Banerjee has maintained its hands off policy for land acquisitions by clearly pointing out that it will not acquire land by force and will continue laying more focus on development of small and medium enterprises in the state.

However, to promote the Large Scale Industries, the aim would be to facilitate investment in the infrastructure of roads, highways, bridges and ports for maximizing the benefits of the rich mineral base and surplus power position of the state.

Changing her earlier stance of standing against FDI, Banerjee highlighted about welcoming latest technology and FDI, especially in manufacturing, sun-rise industries and high tech areas which would promote local entrepreneurship and employment.